Essentially all states tax their residents’ worldwide income. This norm is difficult to justify beyond vague notions of state-provided benefits enjoyed by residents. Recent increased mobility (particularly tax-motivated mobility of wealthy individuals) and the growing importance of remote work and digital nomadism present serious challenges to this linking of residence and taxing rights. This Article examines whether exclusive source taxation of individuals could replace the existing rules, which are based on a compromise between residence and source taxation. The Article concludes that exclusive source taxation of individuals is both feasible and desirable, mainly due to its fairness and legitimacy traits. It further explores the conditions under which such reform could be successfully implemented with the aim of preserving the stability of the existing international tax regime.
* Hugh Culverhouse Eminent Scholar Chair in Taxation & Professor of Law, University of Florida, Levin College of Law.
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